Welsh Fire Women vs Birmingham Phoenix Women, The Hundred Women, Today Match Prediction 13 August 2022

wfirew vs birphw Match Prediction & Analysis

After the success of the 1st season, the 2nd season of The Hundred is up and running. If the 1st season was any indication, the 2nd is set to be an absolute blockbuster. The Welsh Fire would want to forget the first season as they were the bottom-placed team in the tournament. With just 2 wins in 8 games, the Welsh Fires could register just 4 points on the points table. With the injection of a heavy Australian contingent, in Rachael Haynes, Nicola Carey, Annabel Sutherland and the returning Hayle Matthews, the team will hope to perform way better than they did last season.

On the other hand, Birmingham Phoenix had quite a successful 1st season. After registering 4 wins and 4 loses in the season, they ended up 3rd on the points table with 8 points. The pre-season tournament favourites boast the likes of Ellyse Perry, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Molineux and Captain Sophie Devine, this year they will be looking to get their hands on the trophy. It will be a fascinating contest as both teams will be eager to start the competition with a win and set the ground running.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Welsh Fire Women Preview

In the first season of The Hundred, finishing 8th was not something the Welsh Fire would have wanted to do. As disappointing as the season was, Hayley Matthews was one of the brightest performers of the team and the competition. She was not only their top scorer but also the highest wicket-taker, putting in a performance that in another team would win them the title.

The squad this year is very very exciting. With the injection of a heavy Australian contingent, in Rachael Haynes, Nicola Carey, and Annabel Sutherland, the Welsh Fire will hope it will be enough support for Hayley Matthews expecting another massive tournament from her, with both bat and ball.

Key Players: Hayley Matthews, Rachael Haynes, Annabel Sutherland, Tammy Beaumont

Welsh Fire Women Predicted Playing XI:

Tammy Beaumont, Rachael Haynes, Annabel Sutherland, Fran Wilson, Alex Hartley, Fi Morris, Sarah Bryce, Hannah Baker, Lauren Filer, Katie George, Alex Griffiths, Nicole Harvey, Georgia Hennessy, Hayley Matthews, Claire Nicholas, Nicola Carey

Birmingham Phoenix Women Preview

If last season is any indication of what the Birmingham Phonix are capable of, this season with the added firepower they will want to go all the way. Touted as the pre-tournament favourites says a lot of how strong the squad is but also brings in the level of excitement and pressure going into the tournament. The Birmingham Phoenix finished 3rd in the points table, with 4 wins and 4 loses, getting them to 8 points. In a season which could've seen them lifting up the trophy the campaign can also be seen as them being slightly inconsistent given the squad they possess. Which they would genuinely want to work upon in the coming season.

Adding an experienced and proven match winner like Deepti Sharma to their already strong squad will be fascinating to watch. Sophie Molineux, Ellyse Perry and Sophie Devine will also have huge expectations on their shoulders and would have to do well if the Birmingham Phoenix want to get their hand on the trophy.

Key Players: Deepti Sharma, Sophie Molineux, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine

Birmingham Phoenix Women Predicted Playing XI:

Sophie Molineux, Sterre Kalis, Emily Arlott, Gwen Davies, Sophie Devine, Georgia Elwiss, Ria Fackrell, Phoebe Franklin, Kirstie Gordon, Amy Jones, Eve Jones, Ellyse Perry, Abtaha Maqsood, Issy Wong, Deepti Sharma, Davina Perrin

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The weather will be on the warmer side, with a 1-2% chance of raining on match day. The maximum and minimum temperatures will be in the 32°C - 18°C range.

Venue Details

The Sophia Gardens in Cardiff has a decent crowd capacity of around 15,500 people. The stadium, however, does not have a history of producing high-scoring scorchers but low-scoring thrillers which could make the game fascinating to watch.

Toss: To Bowl

As both teams possess a strong batting unit, teams will look to win the toss and bowl first. As it is quite early in the tournament and also the ground is famous for teams chasing winning the game, bowling first will be the way to go after winning the toss.